Decorated Soldier Picks the Best, and Worst, War Movies

I was attending a Christmas party over the holidays and, in the course of conversation, made the following statement:

“I can’t watch very many war movies anymore.”

My sister in-law, thinking I was talking about some kind of emotional issue said, “Of course…” I immediately interrupted her.

“No, it’s not some kind of PTSD thing or anything like that. It’s just that I think I’m hyper-critical and I end up taking myself out of the movie.”

This caused me to think about all the war films I watched over the years and which ones based on my experience actually bring something to the table. As a caveat, I fully admit that most of my criticisms are purely superficial. The layman would never notice or appreciate the difference if it was changed to be more accurate.

Additionally, I was a helicopter pilot for 24 years, so if I don’t notice that the guys in a stack getting ready to kick down a door weren’t oriented correctly that’s not my fault, it wasn’t my job in the Army.

THE CLASSICS

Even after multiple combat tours, I’ve watched these films again and can tell you they contain themes that resonate and hold true even after all these years.

“Fort Apache” (1948): Believe it or not I was first exposed to this film by our Brigade Commander when I served in the 6th Cavalry. If you watch “Fort Apache” and think about leadership, it’s quite instructive. John Wayne’s closing speech regarding “The Regiment” and those who were in it always being alive as long as the regiment exists certainly rings true with me today.

“The Caine Mutiny” (1954): A story about the Court Martial of several naval officers during WWII. Stay to end for the party, and you’ll get a nice surprise.

“Pork Chop Hill” (1959): This is a straightforward telling of an infantry combat assault during the Korean War featuring Gregory Peck.

“12 O’clock High” (1949): I don’t think the strain of command has ever had a better depiction on film. Gregory Peck once again is front and center.

MODERN WAR FILMS

The first “Modern Age” war film was 1998’s “Saving Private Ryan.” Although one could make an argument for the war films of the late ’70s and ’80s (“Apocalypse Now,” “Platoon”) Spielberg’s classic established the tone for many of the features to follow. The hyper realism of the Normandy invasion scene alone sets a high bar for subsequent war movies.

2001’s “Black Hawk Down” was different for me because it was the first film I ever watched about an event that I had personal knowledge of. I wasn’t in Somalia in 1992, but I knew people who had been and had talked with them and had read the book the film was based on.

Overall, I felt they did an OK job and while I fully understand these things aren’t meant to be documentaries there was some stuff that could have been cleaned up.

RELATED: Your Complete Guide to the Best World War I Movies

Then we come to the Global War on Terror. I served three tours in Iraq (37 total months) between 2004 and 2010, so I feel I have a pretty good grasp on that place. I was never in Afghanistan, but there are commonalities and I do know and have talked extensively with people who have served there.

All that being said there have been some abysmal attempts at depicting both the service members that served and the action that has occurred in both places. First the bad, this is by no means all inclusive, I have neither the time nor inclination to sift through all this garbage.

“The Hurt Locker” is for Explosive Ordinance Disposal troops what “Top Gun” is for Navy fighter pilots and “Firebirds” is for Army Apache pilots… a train wreck. If you liked the film, good for you. Just know none of that stuff could have actually occurred in real life.

I know I should personally see something before condemning it, but I’ve heard and read enough about these movies to cross them off my list:

• “Lions for Lambs”
• “In the Valley of Elah”
• “Green Zone”

I am totally down for a war comedy. “M*A*S*H*” is one of the best movies ever made. So, with “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot” my main complaint isn’t that they’re trying to make a comedy from the absurdities of war. Hell, half my tour in 06-07 could be a remake of “Catch 22.”

The problem with “WTF” is it couldn’t take what was actually there and use it. The filmmakers felt they needed to add things that were either unfunny or so unbelievable you asked yourself, “Who thought that crap up?”

The same could be said about the gun running/war profiteering film “War Dogs.”

The good. Once again, not all inclusive. I’m sure there are others out there that are awesome, too. I am not including documentaries. There are a lot of good documentary films out there like “Restrepo” and “Apache Warrior” to name just two.

“Taking Chance” (2009). Kevin Bacon stars as a USMC officer tasked with bring home the remains of a Marine killed in action. It’s a very touching film that deserves your attention.

“American Sniper” (2014)  This is Clint Eastwood’s production of the Chris Kyle story. Kyle was a Navy SEAL from Texas with multiple combat tours. What I thought the film did really well was to show how combat, especially multiple tours, wears a person down and changes you over time.

There were other touches that showed a person with combat experience was advising them as well, such as the layout of their room in Iraq. But there were inaccuracies, too. Remember the tank rolling down a clean Iraqi street? For those of us who were there, that stands out like a sore thumb. Overall though, I thought it was a well-done film.

“Lone Survivor” (2015): Director Peter Berg’s telling the story of a group of Navy SEALs in Afghanistan. My main quibble is the film diverts from the real-life story to have a battle at the end complete with AH-64 gunships. I understand it was done for dramatic purposes and once again, it’s not a documentary…but for those who know it’s a bit off putting.

What I find curious is why are all these current films about special operators or special operations forces? The forthcoming “12 Strong” is about 12 Special Forces (Green Berets) soldiers at the beginning of the War on Terror. Even ones I didn’t cover, like “Zero Dark Thirty,” were about operators.

There are plenty of stories to be told about “regular” soldiers. Look up Clinton Romesha sometime … Hollywood and anyone else would find it well worth it.

Dan McClinton was born in Waco, Texas and served in the United States Army for over 20 years as an Army Aviator, retiring at the rank of Chief Warrant Officer 4 in 2011. He served 37 total months in Iraq with the First Cavalry Division between 2004 and 2010 as an AH-64D Pilot in Command and Air Mission Commander. He is a Master Army Aviator and has traveled around the world as part of his duties in the service of this nation. He was awarded the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star and 7 Air Medals during his military career.